Archangel
by wordboy
Summary: A time traveler appears on Moya. And since this is Moya, nothing goes right after that. It's now finished. The final chapter is up.
1. Default Chapter

"Archangel" Part One: From A Strange And Familiar Place…  
  
Time: Between Self-Inflicted Wounds Part II: Wait For The Wheel and Different Destinations  
  
Disclaimer: I didn't create Farscape, didn't create the characters and don't make a plug nickel off of it. However, I DID create Archangel Antandra Pandora and hope to one day make a bundle off of her life.  
  
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John looked around the corridor and sighed in near satisfaction. It was quiet onboard Moya, and he was determined to enjoy it. Lately, such silence was unheard of onboard the great Leviathan. They had been running non-stop since leaving the Diagnosan's Planet, trying to stay ahead of Scorpius. Even their little rest stop on the commerce station turned into yet another life and death struggle.  
  
Then came the Pathfinders, and Zhaan's sacrifice…  
  
John closed his eyes and tried to push the memories out of his mind. He knew that if he lingered on that series of events, it wouldn't be long before the realization that it was his obsession with wormholes that lead to Zhaan's death. That would leave him angry and depressed, and he was presently feeling to go to give in to those emotions.  
  
He turned his mind back to the silence and looked around again. Aside from himself, only Aeryn and Jool were still onboard Moya. D'Argo, Rygel, Chiana and Stark had wanted to get off of Moya for a little while, so they had taken a transport pod to a small, inhabited planet that seemed to support some kind of tourism. They had said they'd return in a few solar days.  
  
For her part, Jool had found herself a quiet corner and had spent the last solar day there, sulking, trying to figure out what had happened to her. John could well understand her confusion and fear. As for Aeryn, he had seen her heading for Pilot's den, probably to simply spend time with Pilot, to make sure he was dealing with Zhaan's loss.  
  
John sighed and headed for his quarters. "Moya, you're a fantastic ship, but you really could use a recreation deck."  
  
An amused smile crossed his face. He thought, I could use a bottle of champagne, some strawberries and some quality time with Aeryn. Hell, while I'm at it, I might as well wish for a lifetime supply of Clarke Bars.  
  
His comm buzzed. "Commander?"  
  
"Yes, Pilot."  
  
"Moya's internal sensors are picking up anomalous reading in Command."  
  
Not again, he thought. "What kind of anomalous readings?"  
  
"I'm not sure. According to the sensors, there is some kind of distortion field forming."  
  
John's mind began to scream caution. "A distortion field? Is Moya all right?"  
  
"At the moment, Moya is unaffected by the field. But that could change."  
  
"And given the way things have been going lately, it probably will." It never ends, John thought. If it's not one thing, it's another. "All right, Pilot. I'm on my way. Is Aeryn still with you?"  
  
"I'm already on my way, John," Aeryn answered. "I'll meet you there."  
  
"Pilot, find whatever corner Jool's hiding in and tell her to get her tail up here." Automatically, John checked his pulse pistol and began to run for Command.  
  
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John slid to a stop as he ran into Command, Aeryn close behind him. For a few microts, all they could do was stare.  
  
"What the frell…"  
  
The field was forming in the center of Command. To John, it looked like a puddle floating in mid-air. Its surface seemed to ripple, but John could see through it. Whatever the field was, it was completely silent.  
  
"Oh, that's really bad for the eyes," he said.  
  
As Aeryn took up position to cover him and the field, John slowly approached the field. "Pilot, any change in the readings?"  
  
"The internal sensors are not picking up any change, Commander. The area immediately around the field seems to have ceased to exist, but the rest of Command is unaffected."  
  
Aeryn stepped closer. "Pilot, can you locate the point of origin of this field?"  
  
"No, Officer Sun. It seems to have simply materialized. Moya's long range sensors aren't picking up anything that could be causing it."  
  
John raised his hands and tried to touch the field. His hands stopped before reaching it. "Well, we can look, but we can't touch." He backed up a few steps and shook his head. "I don't know, Aeryn. I'm stumped."  
  
"Maybe we should…John!"  
  
The ripple effect seemed to increase, as the field began to glow with a soft white light. John backed up, drew his pulse pistol and felt himself begin to tense. The light grew brighter, until John and Aeryn could no longer look at it.  
  
When the light faded, John found the field had disappeared. In its place stood a woman. She was taller than John, but not quite as tall as D'Argo. Her black hair was straight, shoulder length. She was dressed in a close fitting jumpsuit, two-tone gray in color, a black leather jacket over this. A large, deadly looking pistol was holstered on her right leg, but it was the long sword that hung from her left hip that attracted John's attention. A series of pouches, compartments and what looked like a cell phone lined her belt.  
  
"Well, that's one way to make an entrance."  
  
The woman inhaled sharply and took a step forward. Her hands went to her head and she seemed to be in pain. She began to mutter something under her breath that neither John nor Aeryn could hear. After a few microts, she looked up. As John stared into her ice blue eyes, the woman said, "Where am I?"  
  
Aeryn took a few steps forward, her pistol never wavering. "Who are you, and where did you come from?"  
  
She looked at Aeryn, her frown deepening. "What did you say? I can't understand you. Parsifal, where am I?" She turned her head slightly, and seemed to listen to something only she could hear.  
  
John glanced back at Aeryn. "Hang on a microt, Aeryn." There was something about the woman, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. He stepped closer and held up his hands.  
  
The woman looked at him, then shook her head. "What do you mean, I'm on a starship? How can I be on a starship? Why didn't we make it to Tempe? I swear I'm never going through the Arch again."  
  
John's eyes went wide. "Tempe? As in Tempe, Arizona?"  
  
"Of course Tempe, Arizona. Where else…you speak English? Late twentieth century-early twenty-first century dialect? Then I must not have made it out of your century. But why am I on a starship?"  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
The woman looked weak and stepped back to lean on the chart table. "My name is Antandra Pandora. I'm an Archangel assigned to the Heaven's Gate complex in Ottawa."  
  
John felt his heart begin to race, and for a microt he couldn't speak. Aeryn stepped up behind him. "John?"  
  
"Aeryn, she's from Earth. I don't recognize a couple of the things she's mentioned, but unless there's another Tempe, Arizona and Ottawa, Ontario out here…"  
  
Antandra staggered, then dropped to her knees. As John rushed to her, she whispered, "I have to get out of here. Mathias will be…" Her voice trailed off and she slumped into John's arms.  
  
John glanced down at her, then looked up at Aeryn. "She's from Earth," he said quietly.  
  
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John watched as Jool examined Antandra. Hope and fear were battling for control in his mind. That she apparently came from Earth made him think that maybe, just maybe, he had found the way home. That her clothing was some kind of uniform for a service he didn't recognize, along with her sudden appearance in Command, filled him with suspicion that this might be another elaborate trick on the part of Scorpius.  
  
"Well?"  
  
Jool looked up and sighed. "I don't recognize her species. However, since you believe she comes from your world, I compared her life signs to yours. There are a few minor differences, but they are close enough. She is human."  
  
"Minor differences?" John walked up to the bed. "What kind of minor differences?"  
  
"Well, if I'm right, there are signs of extensive genetic engineering. She probably has some kind of enhanced physical abilities. There is also a small transceiver fused to her brain."  
  
"A transceiver? It looked like she was talking to herself for a microt there in Command. Could she have been talking to someone else?"  
  
"She was talking to me." The male voice came from the small device clipped to Antandra's belt.  
  
John leaned close. "Her cell phone?"  
  
"I'm not a cell phone. My name is Parsifal. I'm an Aegis Class Artificial Intelligence, neurolinked directly to Archangel Pandora's mind. If I may ask, how is the Archangel's condition?"  
  
"Jool says that all she needs is a good night's sleep. Look…Parsifal, was it? Can you answer a few questions?"  
  
"If you can answer a few questions of my own."  
  
"Deal."  
  
Jool started for the door. "I'll leave the two of you to get acquainted."  
  
Aeryn stopped her in the corridor. "What's her condition? And is she really human?"  
  
"She'll be fine after she gets some rest. And yes, she's as human as Crichton. Maybe he'll be able to go home."  
  
Aeryn watched Jool walk away, a sense of uncertainty coming over her. "Yeah, maybe he will. And maybe that's not a good thing." She inhaled deeply and stepped into the chamber.  
  
John was leaning over the woman's unconscious form, apparently talking to himself. "Having visions of Scorpius again?"  
  
He looked back at her. "No, Aeryn. Antandra here has a self-aware computer linked to her mind. He has a few questions. Now, Parsifal, you were saying?"  
  
"My first question, Mr. Crichton, is basic. Where are we?"  
  
"Well, you're onboard a living ship named Moya. As to where, specifically, you are, I still haven't figured that out yet. I don't recognize Antandra's uniform, and there was no artificial intelligence when I left Earth."  
  
"The Archangel's uniform is the standard uniform for the Angel Corps. The Aegis Class Artificial Intelligence has been in use since mid-7618…"  
  
"What?" John leaned close, the confusion that raged in his mind getting steadily worse. "7618? The year 7618? What year are you and Antandra from?"  
  
"7781. Why?"  
  
John straightened and stepped away from the bed. The confusion was beginning to give way to a sense of defeat. "Parsifal, I took off from Earth in 1997."  
  
The computer was quiet for a moment. "Oh my."  
  
"Yeah, that's one way of putting it."  
  
Aeryn came up next to him. "John? What's the matter?"  
  
John closed his eyes and sighed. "She's from the future, Aeryn. Nearly fifty-eight hundred cycles in the future." Someone is having way too much fun at my expense, he thought.  
  
Antandra moaned and opened her eyes. "Mr. Crichton?"  
  
"You can call me John. How long have you been awake?"  
  
"I just woke up. Parsifal told me about the year. I'm still in the past."  
  
John nodded. "It would seem so. When you're feeling better, you'll have to explain to me how you travel through and space."  
  
"I don't understand it myself. I'm just a soldier."  
  
"Can you at least tell me when…"  
  
Their comms beeped. "Commander, Officer Sun?"  
  
John ground his teeth and tried not to let his frustration show. "You really have to work on your timing, Pilot," he whispered. Louder, he said, "What's up, Pilot?"  
  
"Can you come here, please? Moya is picking up a distress beacon."  
  
Aeryn watched John, wondering what was running through his mind. "Can you tell what kind of ship issued the beacon?"  
  
"It appears to be another Leviathan."  
  
That got John's attention. "All right, Pilot. We'll be right up." John massaged his eyes and shook his head. "Aeryn, you ever get the feeling you were in a bad short story based on a television show?" He expected the puzzled look he saw on Aeryn's face. "Never mind. Get some rest, Antandra. We'll talk later."  
  
Antandra nodded and watched John and Aeryn leave. She sighed and looked around the room. "Parsifal, have you tried to contact Angelina?"  
  
"I'm scanning all frequencies, Archangel."  
  
"While you're at it, check your history files. See if you can find anything on this John Crichton." Antandra closed her eyes and felt herself slip into unconsciousness.  
  
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TO BE CONTINUED 


	2. Archangel Part 2

"Archangel" Part Two: The Other Side Of The Rainbow  
  
Time: Between Self-Inflicted Wounds II: Wait For The Wheel and Different Destinations  
  
Disclaimer: I didn't create Farscape, didn't create the characters and don't make a plug nickel off of it. However, I DID create Archangel Antandra Pandora and hope to one day make a bundle off of her life.  
  
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"I, a stranger and afraid,  
  
In a world I never made."  
  
A.E. Housman  
  
Antandra's eyes snapped open and she looked around, confused. Not recognizing the room she found herself in, and the equipment that surrounded her, confirmed in her exhausted mind that what she thought was a dream really did happen.  
  
She sat up slowly and climbed from the bed. She inhaled deeply and stretched, feeling better than she had, but still not at her best. As she stretched out the knots in her muscles, Antandra said, "Anything yet, Parsifal?"  
  
"Not yet, Archangel. I'm scanning all temporal frequencies trying to locate Angelina."  
  
Antandra nodded. "Do you have a lock on Crichton's biosigniture?"  
  
"Yes, Archangel."  
  
"Good. Scan, three hundred-sixty degrees, spherical. Find him."  
  
"Done. He is in a chamber a few levels above us. There are also two unknown life forms with him."  
  
"Unknown life forms? Guide me to him." As she started out of the chamber, Antandra checked her pistol and sword, hoping she wouldn't have to use them.  
  
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"The Leviathan issuing the distress beacon appears to be about four arns away. We can reach it easily without going to starburst."  
  
John exchanged concerned looks with Aeryn. "Can you contact them, Pilot?"  
  
"I have tried, Commander, but they are not responding."  
  
"Either that," Aeryn said, "or they can't respond. Or it's a trap."  
  
John watched Pilot's four arms dance over his console. "Any other ships in the area, Pilot?"  
  
"No, Commander. I should tell you that Moya is very anxious to respond to the beacon."  
  
Aeryn watched John for a microt than turned to Pilot. "Then let's get under way, Pilot. But have Moya be ready to starburst, just in case. Have you contacted D'Argo and the others?"  
  
"I have tried, but they are not responding."  
  
"Keep trying, Pilot. Hopefully, this'll…"  
  
"Commander." Pilot pointed at the den's main door.  
  
John turned and saw Antandra standing just inside the door, staring with wide-eyed confusion. "Oh my God," she said. She walked forward slowly, as if in a daze. She stopped for a moment as a DRD approached her. "Parsifal, what is that?"  
  
"It appears to be some kind of service drone, Archangel."  
  
"It's called a DRD," John said. "They take care of Moya. How do you feel?"  
  
"Still a little weak, but better." Antandra looked up from the DRD and stared at Pilot. "What the… Oh God, it's true. You really are…" She sounded like she was in some kind of trance.  
  
John couldn't help but smile, as he remembered his own reaction to first seeing Pilot. "Yes, he ain't human. Antandra Pandora, this is Pilot. And this is Aeryn Sun."  
  
As she reached the console, Antandra reached out for Pilot. With an amused tilt of his head, Pilot reached out with one arm. Gently, Antandra touched the claw. With a smile, she tightened her grip. "I never dreamed I would ever…" Her voice trailed off.  
  
After a microt, Antandra pulled her eyes away from Pilot and looked at Aeryn. "Parsifal said there were two non-humans in here. Obviously one is your pilot. But the other…" She leaned close to Aeryn, who returned Antandra's stare without flinching. "You're not human?"  
  
Aeryn's face softened and she smiled. "Well, that's a first. Usually John's mistaken for a Sebacean."  
  
Antandra blinked. "I'm sorry, but I can't understand a word you're saying."  
  
"We can take care of that." John turned to the nearest DRD. "Now don't be concerned. DRD, translator microbes. You're going to feel a little prick." Antandra shouted in surprise and a little pain. "Okay, a big prick. Now give it a microt."  
  
Antandra blinked. "Parsifal?"  
  
"There appears to be a small colony of micro-organisms settling into your brainstem. What are they, Mr. Crichton?"  
  
"Translator microbes. They'll enable Antandra to understand most any language you hear. A few words don't come through, but not enough to worry about."  
  
"An organic translator?"  
  
"I think they work like a Babel Fish." In response to Antandra's confused look, John said, "Never mind. Guess great literature didn't make it to the seventy-eighth century. Now, Aeryn isn't human. She's Sebacean."  
  
"I see. You told Parsifal that you have no idea where we are?"  
  
"Antandra, I couldn't tell you if we're on the other side of the Milky Way, somewhere in Andromeda, or on the other side of the frelling universe. All I can say is welcome to the other side of the rainbow, Dorothy."  
  
Antandra sighed. "Well, there's nothing for me to do until Parsifal contacts Angelina, the master AI for the Arch System. Once he contacts her, I'll be able to go home."  
  
"And if she can't establish the connection?"  
  
John looked wistful. "Then we'll have another mouth to feed."  
  
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John leaned back in his chair and watched in amazement as Antandra seemed to be trying to eat all their supplies in one sitting. "Quite an appetite you've got there."  
  
"My enhanced metabolism needs it. I burn it off almost as fast as I can eat it." Reached for her glass of water. "You have no idea how you ended up out here?"  
  
"I launched from the space shuttle to conduct an experiment using Earth's gravity as a speed booster. As I got underway, a wormhole opened up, then bang…here I was. So tell me about your time. What's Earth like in the seventy-eighth century?"  
  
Antandra stopped eating and considered. "Earth is in the midst of great changes right now. The government is changing over from a theocracy to a constitutional democracy. The only thing that they're sure of right now is that as a military force, the Angel Corps will continue to protect the population."  
  
"Well, at least you'll still have a job. What about space travel?"  
  
A look of sadness cross Antandra's face. "Space travel was lost to humanity for more than twenty-five hundred years. We have a couple of orbital stations, but we don't even have the ability to reach the Moon. The world was on the verge of a civil war in the fifty-third century, and when the theocracy was founded, it was decided to concentrate more on rebuilding the planet than traveling among the stars."  
  
"So humanity really hasn't changed much. History is still a succession of wars, the strong stepping on the weak, two sides convinced they're right and are unwilling to compromise. It's a wonder the human race has made it to the seventy-eighth century."  
  
Parsifal said, "It's a common theory in our time, Mr. Crichton, that the only way to change the human race is to accelerate evolution. Until humanity changes at its most basic level, history will continue to repeat itself."  
  
Antandra gently, almost affectionately patted the small unit clipped to her belt. "Parsifal's a bit of a pragmatist. But he is essentially correct."  
  
John sighed in resignation. "What about this time travel system of yours?"  
  
"All I know about it is that it was originally activated in the late forty- fifth century, and is partially of alien construction. I had been sent back to the twentieth century once to retrieve a group of terrorists who used forged credentials to get into the complex. I had gone back a second time for surveillance, to make sure I didn't change anything that would affect the future. I was on my way back to 7781 when I ended up here."  
  
John nodded. "How often do people time travel?"  
  
"My trip was the first in a few hundred years. The complex is sealed. It takes nearly an act of God to be granted access, let alone permission to use the Arch. I was only able to go through because it was in the line of duty."  
  
"I see." Out of the corner of his eye, John saw Aeryn step into Central Chamber.  
  
"John, can I talk to you for a microt?"  
  
"Sure. Excuse me." John stood and followed Aeryn.  
  
Once in the corridor, Aeryn asked, "What have you found out? Is she really from Earth?"  
  
John glanced back at the Central Chamber and shrugged. "It's hard to tell, Aeryn. According to Jool's examination, she's human. What she says about history sounds like human behavior I recognize. But she's from so far in the future that she could be making it all up. Given all that, though, I'm inclined to trust her."  
  
It looked to John that Aeryn expected his answer. "In that case, I hope you don't mind if I keep a close watch on her, just to be on the safe side."  
  
John forced a smile onto his face. "Aeryn, I would be disappointed if you didn't." He turned quickly and walked away.  
  
Aeryn watched him, then turned when she heard footsteps behind her. "You don't trust me, do you?"  
  
Aeryn turned and looked at Antandra, who stood in the Central Chamber's door. "Honestly, no, I don't. But John does, and I without question trust John."  
  
Antandra nodded. "I understand. It's an intelligent warrior who doesn't take anything at face value. From what John has said about you, you must be exceptional."  
  
"Well, John tends to exaggerate. Did he tell you where we're going?"  
  
"You've picked up a distress beacon and are going to investigate. If there's anything I can do to help, please let me know. If I'm going to be here, I might as well be of some use."  
  
"Thank you. I'll keep that in mind. We'll reach the other Leviathan in about three and a half arns. Is there anything else you need right now?" Antandra shook his head and looked confused. "What's the matter?"  
  
Antandra looked a little uncertain as she asked, "What's an arn?"  
  
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The Leviathan that was centered in Command's main window looked as if it had been through a war. Large parts of the hull had been blasted away, and the normal brown color seemed faded almost to black. There were no lights visible.  
  
Antandra studied the vessel, wide-eyed and fascinated. "I assume that's not how a Leviathan's supposed to look."  
  
"No. Someone's put a beating on this one." John stepped closer to the window and felt a sense of failure creep into his mind. We're too late, he thought. "Pilot, anything?"  
  
Pilot's hologram appeared in the clamshell on the side of Command. "Nothing, Commander. There are minimal power readings and faint life signs. And I'm still not getting any response to my calls."  
  
Aeryn shook her head in disgust. "Why would anyone want to attack a Leviathan? Unless they were carrying something valuable…"  
  
"Leviathans are transport vessels," Antandra asked.  
  
John nodded. "Yeah. Unarmed transport vessels. A Leviathan's sole defensive ability is to starburst away." He studied the dead vessel again. "Any sign of the ship that attacked it, Pilot?"  
  
"Nothing, Commander."  
  
"I think we should go over," Aeryn said.  
  
"I agree." John glanced at Antandra. "All of us. Pilot, keep Moya's sensors at maximum range. Scream if you spot anything."  
  
"And keep trying to contact D'Argo and the others," Aeryn added.  
  
As they started from Command, Jool started whining. "Why do we have to go over there? The ship is obviously dead. And whoever did it could come back."  
  
Antandra glanced at Jool with a look at surprise on her face. "The best time to help someone is when then need it, whether they ask for it or not. He…Pilot…said there were faint life signs. As long as there's a chance at finding survivors, we're obligated to go over."  
  
Jool stopped walking and watched Antandra follow John and Aeryn. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "What is it with humans and Sebaceans? Do they all have a death wish?"  
  
"What do you want," Aeryn called back. "Peace and quiet?"  
  
"As a matter of fact, yes. After what we just went through…"  
  
"Enough, Jool." John shook his head. "Great way to make a first impression," he whispered.  
  
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TO BE CONTINUED 


	3. Archangel Part 3

"Archangel" Part Three: Darkness On The Edge…  
  
Time: Between Self-Inflicted Wounds Part Two: Wait For The Wheel and Different Destinations  
  
Disclaimer: I didn't create Farscape, didn't create the characters and don't make a plug nickel off of it. However, I DID create Archangel Antandra Pandora and hope to one day make a bundle off of her life.  
  
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John watched the disabled Leviathan, then turned back at Antandra, who sat quietly behind him and Aeryn. Her face was calm, but John could see uncertainty in her eyes, the concern that she could be cut off from her home and family, maybe for the rest of her life.  
  
He could well understand her feelings.  
  
As he watched, Antandra reached under her jacket and pulled out a small device. She stared at it, then touched one side. The figure of a man appeared above the device. It changed after a microt to the figure of a woman, then again to another woman.  
  
"Family," John asked.  
  
Antandra looked up, as if surprised by his question. "Yes." She touched the device again, returning to the first figure. "This is my husband, Mathias, Zoe Baird, one of my closest friends. And this is my…surrogate mother, Athena. I didn't have a normal family, since I was genengineered."  
  
"Genetic engineering commonplace in 7781?"  
  
"No. I was a special case, engineering to help save the human race from itself. It's a long, drawn out story that I'd rather not go into right now." Antandra watched the holograms again, then switched off the device and returned it to her pocket. "I wonder if I'll ever see them again. Did you leave any family behind?"  
  
"My dad, a couple of sisters, a bunch of friends. Thinking of them is the only thing that gets me through the days, sometimes. Them and…" John's voice trailed off, and he glanced at Aeryn.  
  
Antandra followed his gaze, smiled and nodded. "When was the last time you thought about them?"  
  
John turned back to her, and Antandra saw sadness and longing in his blue eyes. "What time is it?"  
  
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The first thing John noticed was the stale smell of the air. Next were the skeletons that littered the floor of the hanger and the maintenance bay. He frowned as he followed Aeryn into the bay. "Okay, we're way too late. Either that, or they celebrate Halloween out here."  
  
"This Leviathan is smaller and probably younger than Moya. What were they doing out here?" Aeryn knelt and examined the clothing that adorned one skeleton. "John, this is a Tech uniform."  
  
"Peacekeepers." John looked around and pointed at another skeleton. "That one looks like a captain."  
  
"Lieutenant, actually. Pilot, is there any sign of a command carrier?"  
  
"No, Officer Sun. Why?"  
  
"Some of the remains we've found in the maintenance bay are wearing Peacekeeper uniforms." Aeryn stood and looked around. "What do you think? Pilot's den first, then work out from there?"  
  
"Sounds like a plan." John glanced back at Jool, who hovered near the transport pod's ramp. "You coming, Jool, or are you going to stay with the pod?"  
  
Jool looked around, moaned in despair and almost ran toward Aeryn. Aeryn spared her a quick glance, shook her head and drew her pulse pistol.  
  
As John drew his own pistol, he watched Antandra ease her weapon from its holster and raise it to her mouth. "Safety off, high stun," she said.  
  
"Safety off," the pistol repeated. "High stun."  
  
"Vocal identification for security?"  
  
"That, plus dermal recognition. If anyone else but me tries to use this pistol, the security circuit will cut in. The resulting shock is enough to electrocute the unauthorized user. Who are these Peacekeepers?"  
  
John looked around and nudged Jool forward. "Sebacean military. Their main philosophy is 'shoot first, don't ask questions.' Aeryn used to be one of them. We've had our run-ins with them over the past two cycles."  
  
"So seeing these uniforms isn't necessarily a good thing."  
  
"Depends. Techs can be a little easier to deal with, a little less by-the- book military."  
  
Microts later, they reached the den. The door was open just wide enough for the four of them to squeeze through. The lighting in the den was even dimmer than normal, but John could see the Pilot was hunched over at his console, silent and unmoving.  
  
"Well, that's not a good sign," John said as he watched Aeryn climb onto the console. "You got anything up there, Aeryn?"  
  
Aeryn didn't answer immediately. She just continued to study the console. "Nothing unexpected. Minimal power, life-support barely registering. Starburst is non-existent, although it doesn't look like the ship would hold together even if it could starburst." Aeryn turned and began to examine the pilot. "I can't see any sign of injury. I'm not a medic, so I can't be certain, but it looks like he just decided it was time to die."  
  
Pilot sounded almost panicked over their comms. "Commander, Officer Sun, there's something strange happening."  
  
"What is it, Pilot?"  
  
"I'm receiving a signal from D'Argo and the others. But it seems like it's out of sync with us."  
  
"Out of sync? What do you mean?"  
  
"I had to speed up the message in order to understand it. It would appear that either time is moving slower for them, or faster for us. I have no other explanation at the moment. Moya and I are studying the effect now."  
  
"All right. Keep us advised." Aeryn looked toward Antandra, suspicion on her face. "Could this have anything to do with your time travel system?"  
  
"No, Officer Sun," Parsifal said. "The Arch System has no affect on local time. It merely allows passage outside of timespace to allow travel from one time period to another. Not even the opening registers locally."  
  
John shook his head. "Did you catch that, Pilot?"  
  
"Yes, Commander. I will check Moya's data stores for anything pertaining to time travel."  
  
"You'll probably find less than what she has on wormholes. We'll make this fast before whatever happened here affects Moya." John looked around. "What do you think, Aeryn? Split up and a quick tier-by-tier search?"  
  
"With just the four of us? This Leviathan may be smaller than Moya, but that'll still take longer than I'd like."  
  
"Then we'll just hit the high points. I'll keep Antandra with me."  
  
Aeryn turned a look of disbelief at him. "Thank you oh-so-much, John." To Jool, she said, "If you scream, I'll shoot you. We'll take the hammond side. Let's go."  
  
Antandra watched Aeryn and Jool leave the den. "Parsifal, keep a lock on their biosignitures."  
  
"Yes, Archangel."  
  
John started for one of the den's side entrances. "He can do that? Track life signs?"  
  
Antandra nodded. "It the best way to monitor them without being intrusive." She pulled her jacket close and tried to hide the shudder than ran through her body.  
  
"You all right?"  
  
"I'd feel better if I had my squad of Angels behind us. Actually, I'm not certain how I should feel. I think I may have seen something like this is a holo once, but…" Her voice trailed off and the uncertainty returned to her eyes. "The three of you are more familiar with this than I am, and none of you know what's going on. How am I supposed to feel?"  
  
John laughed and nodded. "Believe me, Antandra, I know exactly how you feel."  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
After what felt like an arn, Aeryn's voice came from John's comm. "All I'm finding down here are more skeletons, John."  
  
"Same here, Aeryn." John stopped in the middle of an intersection and looked around. "Pilot, are you still picking up those faint life signs?"  
  
"Yes, Commander."  
  
"Aeryn, what do you think? Another half-cycle, then we call it a loss?"  
  
"We probably won't even need…what was that?" The sound of rapid footsteps could be heard over the comm.  
  
Before John could ask Aeryn what was going on, Antandra called out to him. "John, I think I heard something."  
  
"So did Aeryn, apparently. We've apparently arrived on the Mare Celeste. Let's pick up the pace…"  
  
"John! Look out!"  
  
Before he could react to Antandra's warning, someone plowed into John. Several someones plowed into him. He staggered and dropped to the deck as what seemed like a horde of angry, screaming people piled on top of him. John struggled to either get to his feet or bring his pistol around to start firing.  
  
Then, the attackers seemed to fly off of him. John blinked and saw Antandra standing over him, lifting the people and tossing them aside with ease. She reached down, grabbed his vest and lifted him to his feet. "Are you all right?"  
  
"Yeah, fine. Good thing you took your vitamins this morning."  
  
Antandra smiled grimly. "I was designed to be at least a few time stronger than the average person. But I don't think that's important right now."  
  
"You're right. Oh frell!"  
  
Antandra turned back to the mob and frowned. The attackers looked more like animals than people. "These aren't the Peacekeepers you and Aeryn were talking about, are they?"  
  
John fired twice into the deck, trying to keep the attackers back. "Well, they're dressed like them. But PKs usually have better hygiene that this bunch." John slapped his comm. "Aeryn, watch your back!" The comm remained silent. "Aeryn? Jool? Oh frell."  
  
"Parsifal?"  
  
"Both Officer Sun and Jool's life signs are accelerated, but still strong. I would think they have encountered the same attackers we have."  
  
"Is it still clear behind us?"  
  
"For the moment, yes."  
  
"All right, then. John, go! I'll cover you." Antandra holstered her pistol and reached for her sword.  
  
"What the frell do you expect to do with that?" John frowned. The sword began humming as Antandra drew it. "What the…"  
  
The humming blade seemed to have an affect on the mob. They stopped and stared at the polished blade. "Easily distracted by shiny objects, are you?" Antandra swung the blade downward, and sparks flew as the tip of the blade cut into the deck. "Is there a power conduit somewhere near here?"  
  
"Right over your head! But there's no way that blade will slice through it."  
  
Antandra glanced up and nodded. "Run. Now." She swung the blade at the overhead conduit, cutting through it with ease. The conduit shorted out and exploded, showering the mob in sparks and debris. "Go!" Antandra spun and followed John down the corridor.  
  
As they rounded a corner, Antandra called out, "John, another conduit!"  
  
"Left and right sides!"  
  
Without breaking stride, Antandra swung the sword to her right, cutting through one conduit. She then spun and sliced through another. As these exploded, Antandra followed John around another corner.  
  
They slid to a stop and checked behind them. They could hear the mob coming after them. Antandra took a deep breath and braced herself. "Okay, John. What now?"  
  
"Your guess is as good as mine, Highlander. Parsifal, can you lead us to Aeryn and Jool?"  
  
"I should be able to, Mr. Crichton. However, you may want to look behind you."  
  
John and Antandra turned. Behind them stood a group of Sebaceans, a man dressed in the uniform of a Peacekeeper lieutenant in front of them. The techs in the group were looking on in curiosity, while the rest of the PKs all had their pulse pistols drawn and aimed.  
  
"Well, we seem to have some visitors," the lieutenant said. "You have two choices. Help us or deal with them." He nodded at the approaching mob, his meaning clear.  
  
John inhaled deeply and shook his head. "Well. No good deed goes unpunished," he muttered in disgust.  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	4. Archangel Part 4

"Archangel" Part Four: Just A Little Mishap…  
  
Time: Between Self-Inflicted Wounds Part Two: Wait For The Wheel and Different Destinations  
  
Disclaimer: I didn't create Farscape, didn't create the characters and don't make a plug nickel off of it. However, I DID create Archangel Antandra Pandora and hope to one day make a bundle off of her life.  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
Aeryn fired again into the mob and dragged Jool around a corner. "Move! Or don't your people know how to run, either?"  
  
Jool winced and did her best to keep up with Aeryn. "What the frell are they? They're dressed like Peacekeepers, but…"  
  
"Questions later." Aeryn slapped her comm. "John? John, can you hear me?" When all she heard was silence from the small comm, Aeryn cursed. "John's right. Nothing is ever easy. Look out!"  
  
One of the beings dropped down from overhead behind Jool. She turned, saw the creature and screamed. Aeryn winced as the sound pierced her skull and made her feel like her teeth were about to be vibrated from her head. Quickly, Aeryn raised her pistol and shot the creature. Jool, however, continued screaming.  
  
"Will you shut the frell up? You're not helping!" Aeryn looked around quickly, trying to get her bearings. "Come on. We should be able to circle around and try to get back to John and Antandra."  
  
Jool moved closer to Aeryn and tried to look in every direction at once. "If they've run into the same creatures we have…"  
  
"They're all right. And we'll find them. Now go!"  
  
Aeryn slowed as she approached another intersection. She was sure she heard footsteps coming toward them, and didn't want to run headlong into another mob. Aeryn held up a hand to stop Jool, hesitated a microt, then rounded the corner, pistol raised.  
  
Four Peacekeepers stood on the other side of the corner, pulse rifles ready to fire. The one in the lead relaxed slightly. "Who are you," he said.  
  
Aeryn relaxed only slightly. "We're from…another Leviathan. We picked up your distress beacon and came over to see if we could help." Though she kept her face calm, Aeryn felt her heart begin to race, uncertain of how the Peacekeepers would react.  
  
The officer in the lead looked grim. "You would have been better off staying away. Is it just the two of you?"  
  
"No, there are also a man and a woman…"  
  
"They must be the ones Lieutenant Biranda went after," one of the others said.  
  
The lead officer nodded. He turned suddenly when the sound of the mob got closer. "I'm Officer Myden Bora. Follow us."  
  
Aeryn exchanged a quick look with Jool and followed Bora.  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
"Now, you say you come from another Leviathan?" The Peacekeeper lieutenant, Biranda, paced around Command. "How did you know we were here?" The Lieutenant was not a tall man; his head barely came up to John's shoulder.  
  
"We picked up your distress beacon, Lieutenant. We were close, so we thought we'd see if we could help." John watched Biranda and tried to maintain an air of bored indifference. "Our Leviathan was anxious to get out here and help."  
  
Biranda nodded slowly. "Yes, Leviathans are always eager to help one another. So who are you?"  
  
Before John could answer, two groups entered Command. The first was a group of Peacekeepers surrounding Aeryn and Jool. The other was a pair of techs, waving scanning devices and looking confused.  
  
Biranda watched Aeryn and Jool join John and Antandra on one side of Command. "Where did you find them?"  
  
"Tier Six, sir. They were trying to stay ahead of the mob."  
  
John watched them, then turned to Antandra. She was frowning, her head turned slightly to one side. "What's the matter," he whispered.  
  
"Parsifal's picking up some kind of temporal energy onboard this Leviathan. He thinks it may be what interfered with my trip." Antandra watched the techs approach her. "Something wrong?"  
  
Rather than reply, the techs continued to study their instruments. "It's her. Without question."  
  
Biranda approached slowly. "Nikas?"  
  
The tech looked up from her scanner, her eyes wide and anxious. "We were running routine scans on local timespace, trying to determine what happened to when the generator was activated. Our sensors picked up a minor source of temporal energy here in Command." She gestured at Antandra. "It's her."  
  
"Really." Biranda approached slowly, and John tried not to chuckle as the Lieutenant was forced to look up at Antandra. "What's your name?"  
  
Antandra's voice was calm and unconcerned. "My name is Antandra Pandora."  
  
"That's an odd name for a Sebacean."  
  
"I'm not Sebacean." Out of the corner of her eye, Antandra saw John wince, and wondered what the problem was.  
  
"You're not Sebacean? Then what are you?" Biranda shook his head quickly. "No, forget about that. What do you know about time travel?"  
  
"Me, personally? Nothing. I just use the system. The techs back home operate it."  
  
There was a look of disbelief on Nikas's face. "Surely you must know something about the system's operation."  
  
Antandra shook her head. "The techs activate the Arch, the traveler walks through it and then you come out where and when you want to be. It would be easier for me to explain how my sidearm works."  
  
Biranda chewed his lower lip. "Bring them to the lab."  
  
Eagerly, the two techs took Antandra's arms and lead her from Command. John watched then started walking as the guards nudged him, Aeryn and Jool forward.  
  
"Are you two all right?"  
  
Aeryn glanced back at the guards. "Fine, all things considered."  
  
Jool almost started screaming. "Fine? We get chased through this frelling ship and nearly killed by a bunch of degenerate Peacekeepers, and you say we're fine?"  
  
"Look on the bright side," John said. "Given the way things usually go on Moya, this is actually not all that bad."  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
John, Aeryn and Jool were lead to the Central Chamber, where a lab had been set up. A large, roughly cylindrical construct filled the center of the chamber, surrounded by consoles manned by techs. A pair of posts had been set up on one side of the chamber. Nikas and the other tech stood Antandra between them, then turned their attention to a secondary console.  
  
"It's just a scanning rig," Nikas said. "It won't hurt."  
  
"Oh, I'm not concerned about that," Antandra said.  
  
Biranda watched them for a microt. "Well?"  
  
Nikas watched information stream across a screen. "She's right. She's not Sebacean. As a matter of fact, Rhianda's data stores don't have a record of her species." She tapped in more instructions and watched the data change. "There seems to be a field of temporal energy surrounding her. It's a very low level field, and it seems to be focused on her forearm."  
  
Antandra raised her right arm and touched a spot just below her wrist. "It's a temporal beacon. It's the only way the control center can keep track of travelers. Hopefully they'll be able to lock onto this and get me the hell out of here."  
  
"Really? And where might that control center be located?"  
  
"Earth."  
  
Biranda frowned. "Erp? Never heard of it. Were you traveling through your time travel system approximately six arns ago?"  
  
Antandra thought quickly. "There is no sense of time while traveling through the Arch. However, I did arrive on Moya about four arns ago."  
  
The frown on Biranda's face grew. "Moya? Why is that name familiar?" He thought for a microt, then shook his head. "It'll come to me. So you were using your travel system and ended up onboard their Leviathan. Nikas, could she have been using her system at the same time you were activating the temporal generator?"  
  
"It is possible, Lieutenant. And it's also possible that the interaction between her system and ours could have overloaded both systems. I just wish we had known that someone else was studying time travel."  
  
Antandra shrugged. "I don't think that would help you. I'm from the future."  
  
"Commander! Officer Sun!"  
  
Aeryn felt herself relax when she heard Pilot's voice. "Yes, Pilot."  
  
"Whatever is affecting local space is getting worse. The messages are coming in at an even slower rate than before."  
  
"Great," John muttered. "Pilot, see if you can determine how far the effect reaches." In response to Biranda's questioning look, he said, "That was our pilot. Four of our crew are off the ship. He's receiving a signal from their transport pod, but it's coming in slow motion, like time is moving at a different rate for them. Or for us, depending on how you want to look at it."  
  
Aeryn massaged her eyes. "Pilot, can you tell how far the affect reaches?"  
  
"No, Officer Sun. But I will see if I can find its limits."  
  
John chewed on his lower lip. "What were you doing out here? Some kind of experiment in time travel that went wrong?"  
  
"Nothing has gone wrong!" Biranda sounded both insulted and defiant.  
  
"Dude, you've got a dead pilot, a Leviathan that looks like it's been through a war, skeletons all over the ship, and a mob that looks like they could've been extras in Night Of The Living Dead. Add to that a stranded time traveler and the fact that, somehow, time in local space has started moving at a different rate than the rest of the universe. If this isn't the definition of something going wrong, I don't know what is."  
  
Nikas glanced at Biranda, then walked up to John. "Our chief scientist theorized that time travel was possible, using warps in the fabric of space known as wormholes. High Command thought the project had merit and set us up here, onboard Rhianda, to conduct the research."  
  
"So what went wrong?"  
  
"For a time, everything went well. Our theories were sound, and there were no problems during the construction of the temporal generator. However, when we activated the generator, six arns ago, we experienced a massive discharge that killed some of the crew and caused others to revert to a more animalistic phase. It also killed our pilot and rendered Rhianda unconscious. We've been trying to correct the situation since then."  
  
"Enough!" Biranda looked annoyed. "Take them to a cell, while I decide what to do with them."  
  
Nikas waved a hand at Antandra. "Lieutenant, at least leave this one here. She could be some help to us."  
  
"She's already told us that she doesn't know how her system works. I don't see how she can help." Biranda nodded at the guards.  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
Aeryn watched the guards lay out their equipment on a table just outside the cell door, then turned back to John and Antandra. There was concentration on John's face, the same look he wore whenever he was trying to figure out some problem. Antandra's face was blank. Jool was sitting in a corner, her knees drawn up to her chin.  
  
"Maybe we shouldn't have come," John said.  
  
"I think I said that," Jool muttered.  
  
"As if we had a choice. Even if we had said no, Moya would have gone anyway. I think Pilot was just being courteous when he told us about the beacon." Aeryn watched Antandra stand and walk to the door. "What's the matter?"  
  
Antandra stared at her sword and sighed in resignation. "I wish I had my sword. We'd be out of her by now."  
  
"Your sword wouldn't have much affect on these bars."  
  
"Aeryn, I saw that blade cut through the deck and three conduits." John joined them at the door. "How can it do that, anyway?"  
  
"There's a small generator built into the hilt. It sets up a vibration along the edge that increases the cutting ability of the blade. The blade itself is made of the same material as the armored hulls of our orbital stations. The blade will cut through most anything, except for another blade."  
  
John leaned against the wall and stared through the bars down the corridor. In the distance, he could hear the mob and gunfire. "Times like this, I wish I'd listened to my mother."  
  
"What did she say?"  
  
"I don't know. I wasn't listening."  
  
Despite herself, Aeryn smiled. They exchanged concerned looks, then sat on the floor, their backs to each other. Antandra watched them, then nodded. They were watching both sides of the corridor, essentially watching each other's back. She stepped away from them and tried to force herself to stay calm.  
  
She wasn't expecting the deck beneath her feet to suddenly shudder and heave.  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	5. Archangel Part 5

"Archangel" Part Five: Wasting Time  
  
Time: Between Self-Inflicted Wounds Part II: Wait For The Wheel and Different Destinations  
  
Disclaimer: I didn't create Farscape, didn't create the characters and don't make a plug nickel off of it. However, I DID create Archangel Antandra Pandora and hope to one day make a bundle off of her life.  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
"As if one can kill time without harming eternity."  
  
Henry David Thoreau  
  
Antandra lost her footing as the deck heaved again. "What the…"  
  
"Rhianda must have woken up and realized her pilot is dead." Aeryn grabbed the bars and pulled herself to her feet. To Antandra, she explained, "Leviathans don't react well to losing their pilots. Moya became…difficult the few times Pilot was separated from her."  
  
Antandra dragged herself to her feet and caught Jool as she slid toward her. "Are Leviathans really that intelligent?"  
  
"Kinda hard to believe, isn't it? It's easy to misjudge them without a pilot to speak for them." John watched two PK guards run past the cell door. "Hey! What's going on?"  
  
The first guard stopped and looked back at them. "Rhianda's waking up and she is not happy."  
  
The deck heaved again. This time, their equipment slid off of the table. As it hit the deck, Antandra's pistol slipped from its holster. The guard looked over the equipment, let out a long-suffering sigh and bent to pick up the weapon.  
  
As he reached for her pistol, Antandra said, "No, don't touch it."  
  
The guard ignored her and picked up the pistol.  
  
"Security circuit engaged," the pistol said.  
  
The guard stared at it, then gasped. His muscles locked as the pistol's security system proceeded to electrocute him.  
  
"Why don't they ever listen to me," Antandra said quietly.  
  
"Well, that'll keep your weapon from falling into the wrong hands." Aeryn reached through the cell bars and tried to reach the door control. As she pressed herself against the bars, trying to extend her reach, Aeryn heard dull cracking. Stepping back, she saw a small fracture in the bars.  
  
Frowning, Aeryn pressed her hands against the bars and pushed. After a microt, the bar broke off in her hands.  
  
John considered the broken bar. "Don't know your own strength, Aeryn."  
  
Jool took the bar from Aeryn. She tapped her fingertips against it then brushed the broken end. The metal flaked away like dust. "Now that's not right."  
  
"This alloy should be able to hold up against pulse blasts. It certainly shouldn't have broken that easily."  
  
Antandra glanced at the dead guard, then checked the corridor. "May I respectfully suggest we table this discussion for a more opportune time? I think our main goal right now should be getting the hell out of here before whatever's happening to Rhianda begins to affect us."  
  
They broke through the rest of the bars with ease. As they retrieved their equipment, Aeryn said, "We should do something about this project of theirs, before its affects spread farther."  
  
Antandra checked her pistol then her sword. "How are you, Parsifal?"  
  
"I am undamaged, Archangel. And I have some good news: I've re- established contact with Angelina."  
  
"Excellent! What's her status?"  
  
"According it the Arch's sensor system, there is extreme interference preventing Angelina from establishing an entry point. Presumably, it is the Peacekeeper's project that is causing the interference."  
  
"That's it, then." Aeryn checked her pulse pistol and set a determined look on her face. "Back to the lab."  
  
As they started jogging down the shaking corridor, Antandra noticed the look of panic on Jool's face. A microt later, she made her decision.  
  
"I have a better idea," she said. "You three go back to the transport pod and get ready to launch. Once I disable the generator, I'll join you."  
  
"I'll go with you," John said.  
  
"No, John!"  
  
"Antandra, you'll never make it through that mob by yourself. Aeryn, don't wait too long. If it starts getting bad, get out of here."  
  
Aeryn started to protest but stopped. She looked grim as she said, "Don't do anything too stupid."  
  
"You know me."  
  
"That's why I said it."  
  
John glanced at Jool and started down the corridor. He heard a voice say, "Safety off, light stun" right before his body went numb and he collapsed.  
  
Antandra glanced down at him. "It's only a light stun effect. It'll wear off quickly."  
  
"So, taking on tasks that any sane person would avoid is a common human trait," Jool asked.  
  
"I have no desire to die fifty-eight hundred cycles before I was born." Antandra unclipped a small device from her belt. "That's Parsifal's portable mainframe. He's linked to me, so he'll be able to lead me back to the transport pod. But if things start to get too rough…"  
  
"We'll still be there waiting for you." Antandra started to protest but stopped. She simply nodded, turned and ran down the corridor.  
  
Aeryn watched her then glanced at the small unit she held. "Tell me this is the right thing to do, Parsifal."  
  
"Archangel Pandora would not have tolerated further discussion, Officer Sun. However, in my time with the Archangel, I have seen her survive situations that would have killed most other people. If there's a way to survive, she'll find it."  
  
"I hope you're right." Aeryn clipped Parsifal to her belt and reached for John. "Grab an arm! Hurry!"  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
By the time they reached the hanger, John had shaken off the effects of the stun blast.  
  
He wasn't happy.  
  
"Damn it, Aeryn, why did you let her go?"  
  
Aeryn pushed John up the transport pod's ramp behind Jool. "Because I wasn't able to stop her. You were unconscious, after all."  
  
"You know as well as I do that there's no way she'll be able to get to the lab, disable the generator, then fight her way back through that mob."  
  
"I know. That's why I'm going to go after her."  
  
John stared. "No, Aeryn. If anyone's going to go back for her, it should be me." He started down the ramp, but lost his footing as his knees gave out. "Okay, maybe I haven't gotten over that stun shot yet."  
  
"And you want to go after Antandra? You can barely stand."  
  
"She's the only other human out here. I can't abandon her."  
  
Aeryn stared at John, wondering if she would be able to get in a panthak jab. No, that wouldn't do, she thought. Jool can't prep the pod. "John, you're not abandoning her. You're holding our exit point. Parsifal will be able to guide me to her, so I should get there quickly."  
  
John took a deep breath, and Aeryn could see the muscles along his jaw flex in irritation. He was about to continue protesting, but didn't. He looked past Aeryn, his eyes going wide. "Aeryn, weren't there skeletons all over the place?"  
  
Aeryn turned. The skeletons they had found when they first arrived were gone. She looked grim and started out of the hanger. "Get the pod ready for launch, John. I won't be long. You know where Antandra is, Parsifal?"  
  
"Of course, Officer Sun."  
  
"Then let's get going." Aeryn started out of the maintenance bay, but stopped and looked back at John. There was a moment that time seemed to stop, and all they could see was each other. Then the moment past, and Aeryn nodded. She spun and ran out of the bay.  
  
John continued to watch the empty door, then muttered something that sounded vaguely obscene to Jool. She then followed him into the pod.  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
Antandra slid to a stop as two Peacekeeper guards appeared before her. She began to raise her pistol, but stopped. Both men remained unmoving, as if they were living statues.  
  
Parsifal's voice whispered in the back of her mind. "The two of them appear to be frozen in time, Archangel. I would suggest you keep moving before it begins to affect you, as well."  
  
Antandra stared at the frozen men a microt longer, then continued running.  
  
"I should tell you that Officer Sun and I are on our way to assist you. Turn left here."  
  
Antandra looked around, then followed Parsifal's direction. "What? I told her I'd make it back to them after I took care of the generator."  
  
"It has been my observation that Officer Sun is a very strong willed, capable warrior. Reminds me of someone I know, actually."  
  
Despite herself, Antandra laughed. "Whoever said sarcasm in an AI was a good thing? Tell Aeryn to turn back. No sense in endangering both of us."  
  
Parsifal was silent for a moment. "I have conveyed your message to Officer Sun. Her response is: Frell no."  
  
"I see." Antandra growled in frustration and tried to run faster.  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
There was chaos in the lab when Antandra arrived.  
  
Biranda was standing in front of the generator, screaming in anger and frustration. On one side of the chamber, Nikas and two other techs were moving so slowly that their movement could barely be seen. On the opposite side, a guard and another tech were nothing more than blurs.  
  
Antandra stepped up next to Biranda. "Now are you going to admit something went wrong, Lieutenant?"  
  
When Biranda turned to her, Antandra saw madness in his eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about! There's nothing wrong!"  
  
"I would hazard to guess he's lost his mind, Archangel," Parsifal whispered in her mind.  
  
"Thank you, Parsifal. That much wasn't painfully obvious." Antandra drew her sword and stepped closer to the generator. "I can't go home while this generator is still functioning. And really want to see my husband again." She raised the sword over her head.  
  
Biranda's eyes took on an even wilder aspect. "What are you doing?" He rushed her, knocking her to the deck. Antandra's head struck the deck, and she lost her grip on the sword. Biranda kicked it away and drew his pulse pistol.  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
Antandra shook her head and turned a defiant look at the lieutenant. "I am Antandra Pandora. I am an Archangel. I am the surrogate daughter of Athena Curtis, the wife of Mathias Crowe, and the spiritual descendant of Caralynn Adrasteia. I have fought against evil in all its forms. I am also a long way from where I belong, and I want to go home."  
  
"Then go. Who's stopping you?"  
  
"That's stopping me! As long as it's functioning, I'm trapped here."  
  
Biranda looked almost pleased. "You're trapped here? Good. Then we can die together!"  
  
Antandra swallowed. Was there a Plan B, she wondered.  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	6. Archangel Part 6

"Archangel" Part Six: Time On My Mind  
  
Time: Between Self-Inflicted Wounds Part II: Wait For The Wheel and Different Destinations  
  
Disclaimer: I didn't create Farscape, didn't create the characters and don't make a plug nickel off of it. However, I DID create Archangel Antandra Pandora and hope to one day make a bundle off of her life.  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
The mob descended on her as she got close to the lab.  
  
Aeryn slid to a stop as part of the mob rounded a corner. She tried to change direction, but saw another part of the mob come up behind her. Aeryn frowned, drew her pulse pistol and braced herself.  
  
"I'm calling the Archangel, Officer Sun," Parsifal said, "but she is a bit occupied with Lieutenant Biranda."  
  
"Excellent, Parsifal. Just excellent." Aeryn looked around and shook her head. "It's a good thing there aren't more humans out here. They'll be the end of me yet." She raised her pistol and opened fire.  
  
The mob hit her from both sides.  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
Antandra watched Biranda begin to pace around the chamber, his pulse pistol never wavering from her. "Lieutenant, you have to let me disable the generator. Not only is it keeping me from returning to my own time, it's beginning to tear Rhianda apart and turning your crew into a mob of savages."  
  
"Nonsense. It's not doing anything of the sort." There was defiant madness in Biranda's voice.  
  
"Just look around this chamber, for God's sake! One side is moving hyper- fast, the other is moving hyper-slow. And there are mobs of people stalking the ship, trying to kill anyone they find. That to you is normal?"  
  
Parsifal's voice whispered in the back of Antandra's mind, distracting her. "Archangel, Officer Sun needs your assistance immediately! She's being overwhelmed by the mob!"  
  
"Tell Aeryn to hold on as long as she can, Parsifal," she whispered. Antandra looked at Biranda again. "What was the real reason this project was started?"  
  
"We have to stop the Scarrans. We need all the weapons we can get. If this time generator can stop the Scarrans, or allow us to go back an eliminate them before they became a space faring power, think of the lives that will be saved!"  
  
"Think of the lives that could be lost! You can't go back to the past and change one thing without changing history! If you eliminate these Scarrans, then the need for weapons never exists. So there's no need for weapons, so they're never created. So the Scarrans grow to be a threat, so you need weapons…it just goes round and round. It's a paradox!"  
  
Rhianda shuddered again, and Biranda staggered back. Seeing an opening, Antandra sprang forward. She rolled aside as the lieutenant squeezed off a shot from his pulse pistol, then continued forward. Antandra felt a moment of misplaced amusement at the look of surprise on Biranda's face as she lifted him off the deck.  
  
"Now, you're going to stay out of my way while I disable the generator!" Biranda giggled maniacally. "It's affecting you, too."  
  
The deck heaved again and Antandra lost her footing. As she fell to the deck, Biranda twisted free from her grip. He rolled away and ran from the chamber, still giggling.  
  
Antandra spared him a quick glance before retrieving her sword. She looked over the generator and activated the sword's vibe generator. "How's Aeryn doing, Parsifal?"  
  
"Losing ground quickly, Archangel."  
  
"I'll be right there." Antandra raised the sword and plunged it into the generator. She then swung it in wide arcs, cutting deep into the casing. Alarms sounded and the chamber went dark. "Is it deactivated, Parsifal?"  
  
"Yes, Archangel."  
  
"Tell Aeryn I'm on my way."  
  
"Her response is: About frellin' time."  
  
Antandra glanced once more at the generator then ran from the chamber.  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
She rounded the corner in time to see Aeryn lose her footing and disappear into the crowd.  
  
"Oh my God! AERYN! Safetyoffkill!" Antandra waded into the crowd, her pistol covering her right side, the sword covering the left. Slowly, Antandra made her way to the last place she saw Aeryn. She looked around quickly, holstered her pistol and sheathed her sword. Quickly, Antandra began to dig into the crowd, throwing bodies aside with desperate ease.  
  
"Aeryn! Aeryn!" Antandra flinched as a pulse pistol was thrust into her face. "Whoa! Hang on, Aeryn! It's me! Antandra!" She dragged Aeryn to her feet and quickly checked her over. Blood trickled from her nose and the corner of her mouth, and her eyes seemed glazed over, but Aeryn appeared to be otherwise all right.  
  
"Do you know where you are?"  
  
Aeryn blinked and shook her head to clear it. "In the final moments of a losing battle?"  
  
Antandra smiled grimly. "Well, not yet. Let's go!" She drew her sword and began to swing it like a scythe, cutting through the mob. Slowly, they proceeded down the corridor.  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
John tried to stop pacing the maintenance bay, but couldn't. He was far too nervous, far too concerned. He could hear gunfire in the distance, liberally mixed with yelling voices and the screams of the mob. More than once, John wanted to leave the maintenance bay. Only the knowledge that Jool would not be able to stop any of the Peacekeepers who wanted to take the transport pod kept him from following Aeryn.  
  
He slapped his comm. "Aeryn, what's your status?" He growled in frustration when he heard only silence.  
  
John heard Jool come down the ramp. "Anything?"  
  
"Nothing yet." John stared through the door and again began to pace.  
  
"Mr. Crichton!"  
  
John jumped as Parsifal's voice came from his comm. "Yeah! Parsifal! You've tapped into the comms?"  
  
"It took a little longer to find the correct frequency than I thought. Archangel Pandora and Officer Sun are on their way back to you. We should reach you in a few minutes. However, Lieutenant Biranda and several of the technicians are ahead of us."  
  
"I'll be ready for them, Parsifal. Tell them not to sightsee." John drew his pulse pistol and looked back at Jool. "Get inside and be ready. There's a pulse rifle in there…"  
  
Jool looked insulted by the suggestion. "My people don't use weapons!"  
  
"Then get inside and stay there." Maybe we can send Jool back to Earth and keep Antandra with us…no, I couldn't do that to them.  
  
At the sound of footsteps, John turned back to the entrance. Instead of seeing Aeryn and Antandra, John saw Biranda and a few techs run into the maintenance bay.  
  
Biranda trained his weapon on John. "Thank you for leaving us your transport pod. I'm sure you'll find something here on Rhianda that you can use."  
  
John backed up, keeping his hands in sight. "Y'know, it doesn't have to be like this. We can all leave, then Moya can take you wherever you want to go. I'm sure Pilot would be willing to…"  
  
"Oh, your pilot will cooperate with us. After all, this experiment has to continue."  
  
John saw Aeryn and Antandra appear in the doorway. "You are not going to use Moya for these experiments!"  
  
"And what will you do to stop me?" There was a quiet hum, and Biranda inhaled sharply. He dropped to the deck, followed by the techs.  
  
Antandra lowered her pistol and shook her head. "Never try to reason with a lunatic."  
  
"It's one of the things I learned in college," John said. "Right up there with 'never argue with a philosophy major.' Now, let's get them…"  
  
Jool screamed and pointed at the deck. John glanced down and gasped.  
  
Where Biranda and the techs had fallen were now skeletons…in the exact positions the original skeletons were found.  
  
The four of them glanced at each other. "Um…okay. This is just way too weird."  
  
Aeryn nodded. "May I suggest we get the frell out of here before we join them?"  
  
As the transport pod powered away from Rhianda, the Leviathan shuddered and seemed to collapse onto itself. It seemed to shimmer for a microt then shrink into a single point of light…and was gone.  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
"…and you can't meet us, Aeryn?"  
  
Aeryn glanced at the communications console and smiled in sympathy. She could understand D'Argo's irritation. Being trapped in a transport pod with Rygel and Stark could test the self-control of most anyone. "I'm sorry, D'Argo. But we ran into a few problems out here. Several of Moya's systems are damaged. It's going to take a few arns to make the repairs, but until then, we aren't going anywhere."  
  
A sigh that sounded like high wind came from the concealed speakers. "All right, Aeryn. We'll rendezvous with you in three arns."  
  
"Fine. How was your trip?"  
  
There was silence. "Rygel is lucky to still be alive. I'll explain later." There was a click, then silence.  
  
Aeryn sighed. Maybe now things will return to normal. Only one other thing left to deal with…  
  
She turned as she heard footsteps in the doorway and watched John and Antandra walk in.  
  
"So, every time the Halosians fired their weapon, its interaction with your defense shield caused you all to switch bodies?" Despite herself, Antandra started laughing. "I'm sure it wasn't very amusing at the time, but…"  
  
"Oh, it was a thrill, being trapped in Rygel's body." John nodded, remembering. "Although, I was in Aeryn's body for a little while. That was…interesting." He glanced at Aeryn and smiled.  
  
"I'm sure a lot of men would have loved to have been in your place. Parsifal, anything from Angelina?"  
  
"She is activating the Arch now, Archangel. The connection should be made in a few minutes."  
  
"Good."  
  
Pilot's hologram appeared in the clamshell. "I have finished scanning the area, Commander. There is no sign of debris, no evidence of an explosion. Time appears to have returned to the rate we are most familiar with."  
  
John sighed and nodded. "Well, add it to the list of strange and generally weird-ass things we've run into over the cycles, Pilot."  
  
Aeryn leaned against the communications console and crossed her arms. "I wish we knew how far they'd gotten on their research. It might be worth keeping an eye out for any other experiments like this."  
  
"I have found something else you may find interesting, Officer Sun. There is a listing for a Leviathan named Rhianda in Moya's data stores."  
  
Aeryn turned. "Really, Pilot? What do you have?"  
  
"According to the data banks, Rhianda was part of Crais's battle group three and a half cycles ago. She had been dispatched under the command of Lieutenant Fallan Biranda on a special research assignment. All contact was lost with her a quarter cycle later."  
  
The three stared at each other, then turned to the clamshell. "They disappeared over three cycles ago?" John chewed his lip and considered. "They must have jumped forward in time when they activated the generator. Man, that's a Star Trek moment if I've ever seen one."  
  
Pilot's hologram looked down, and he frowned. "I am picking up the distortion field again. It's forming in Command."  
  
They looked around quickly, and backed away as the field began to form in front of the front window. John and Aeryn joined Antandra as she walked up to it. "Well, I guess this is goodbye."  
  
Antandra nodded slowly. "I guess so. This has been an interesting experience." She glanced at the shimmering field and sighed. "John, when I first arrived, I asked Parsifal to check his history files for any reference to you."  
  
"And?" John glanced down at the small portable unit he held.  
  
"Our records from the twentieth century are rather sketchy, Mr. Crichton. I do have a record of your disappearance, but…there is nothing else after that."  
  
"Oh. Well, that's okay. I probably wouldn't want to know, anyway." Despite his relaxed tone of voice, John felt disappointment. He had hoped for some hint that he would eventually make it back to Earth.  
  
"Archangel, Mr. Crowe is wondering why you're waiting."  
  
Antandra smiled. "Tell him to relax. He's my husband, not my father." She looked back at John and Aeryn. "Time to go."  
  
"Yeah. Here." John held out Parsifal.  
  
The AI suddenly yelled, "Archangel!"  
  
The field suddenly flared with unbearable white light. John involuntarily raised his hands to cover his eyes…and felt the deck disappear from beneath his feet.  
  
When the light faded, Command was empty.  
  
Pilot's hologram looked around, confused and concerned. "Commander? Officer Sun? Where are you?"  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
She was falling, and only the powerful hand holding onto her arm made her think things weren't as bad as her instincts told her.  
  
Aeryn landed badly, collapsing and rolling across a hard, warm floor. She coughed several times and opened here eyes.  
  
She was in a large auditorium of some kind, with a large balcony overlooking it. Several people were running up to her, an average looking man and a woman with long red hair. In the center of the auditorium, Antandra stood, her arms around a dark skinned man shorter than herself.  
  
Antandra stepped away from the man and walked up to Aeryn. "Are you all right?"  
  
"I don't know. Where are we? Where's John?"  
  
"Wherever he is, Parsifal's with him. I'm completely cut off from him." Antandra turned to the red haired woman. "Zoe, get Doctor Graff down here. We still have problems."  
  
Aeryn grabbed Antandra's arm. "Where the frell are we?"  
  
"Home." Antandra turned back to Aeryn, her face whimsical. "Welcome to Earth, Aeryn Sun."  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	7. Archangel Part 7

"Archangel" Part Seven: This Side Of The Rainbow…  
  
Time: Between Self-Inflicted Wounds Part II: Wait For The Wheel and Different Destinations  
  
Disclaimer: I didn't create Farscape, didn't create the characters and don't make a plug nickel off of it. However, I DID create Archangel Antandra Pandora and hope to one day make a bundle off of her life.  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
"You don't know how you got here  
  
You just know you want out  
  
Believing in yourself  
  
Almost as much as you doubt"  
  
U2, "Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me"  
  
For a long moment, all Aeryn could do was stare. "What did you say?"  
  
"We're on Earth, Aeryn. Earth in my century, that is." Antandra looked around the auditorium then started for the far side, to a narrow staircase. "Welcome to Tempe, Arizona, by the way."  
  
Aeryn hesitated for a microt, then started after Antandra. "If we're here, then where's John? He was standing next to me when your portal went fahrbot."  
  
"I know. Wherever he is, Parsifal's with him. He's completely cut off from me." Antandra reached the staircase and took the steps three at a time. Aeryn had to run to keep up with her. "Which leads me to believe they're either still on Moya or are somewhen else in time. If Parsifal were anywhere on the face of the Earth in this time, he'd be able to contact me."  
  
At the top of the stairs, Antandra stopped and held up a hand, blocking Aeryn's path. Aeryn leaned to one side and saw two armed guards, their rifles pointed at her. As she reached for her pulse pistol, Antandra said, "No, Aeryn! What is the meaning of this, Clement?"  
  
Aeryn saw a black clad man approach from the far side of the balcony, maneuvering through an array of consoles with the ease of a reptile. "The meaning, Archangel, is that you have brought an armed, potentially dangerous alien to a secure government installation."  
  
Antandra glared at the man. "I thought the Seraphim had been disbanded. Aeryn may be an alien, but she is not dangerous. She's my friend."  
  
"Your friend. Really. And how do we know if this…friend can be trusted?"  
  
"I trust her. That should be more than enough for you. Come on, Aeryn."  
  
As they started across the balcony, the man…Clement…said, "How much are you willing to invest in that trust, Archangel?"  
  
Antandra turned back to him. Her voice was cold as she said, "Shakespeare: My life upon her faith." When Clement didn't respond, Antandra and Aeryn started walking.  
  
"He's going to be trouble," Aeryn whispered.  
  
"He's always trouble. God alone knows why Mathias keeps him around."  
  
The room Antandra led Aeryn to was a small conference room, with metal chairs arranged around a long table. Several of the people from the auditorium were there, each looking anxious. Antandra went to the man she had hugged before and leaned forward, until her forehead was against his head. "Things are still screwed up, Mathias."  
  
The man patted Antandra on the shoulder and nodded. "I know, Antandra. Doctor Graff has Angelina working overtime trying to locate Parsifal. As long as he's still functioning, she'll find him." Mathias glanced at Aeryn out of the corner of his eye. "Are you going to introduce us?"  
  
"Yes. Aeryn Sun, this is my husband, Mathias Crowe. Two of my closest friends, Moses Palmer and Zoe Baird." Antandra turned to an older woman who bore a striking resemblance to her. "And this…this is my mother, Athena Curtis."  
  
Aeryn looked over the four and saw both acceptance and caution in their eyes. "Good to meet you," she said.  
  
"What was that," Palmer asked. "She can understand us, but she speaks a different language?"  
  
"It's a long story, Moses. Suffice to say that I can understand her. You'd better get comfortable, there's a lot to talk about." As the four settled onto the metal chairs, Antandra turned back to Aeryn. "Have a seat, Aeryn, and relax. You're among friends here. Anything you need? I'm not quite sure what you require…"  
  
Aeryn sat slowly. "Well, there is something that John used to talk about when he first arrived on Moya. Some kind of food item. To hear him talk about it, it was some kind of delicacy. If you have any, I'd like to try it."  
  
Antandra frowned. "John's from the twentieth century, so I don't know about that. The main goal of the Arch Complex is rebuilding our knowledge of that time, so maybe we do. What was it?"  
  
Aeryn thought, trying to remember back two and a half cycles. "What did John call it? Choc-a-lat?"  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
Command disappeared in a flash of blinding white light. The deck disappeared and he tumbled through what felt like thick syrup. His arms flailed about, trying to find a handhold, but he found none.  
  
John gasped for breath and fought back vertigo. "Parsifal…"  
  
"We'll be through momentarily, Mr. Crichton! Brace yourself!"  
  
There was another flash of white light, followed by darkness. John now found himself tumbling through cool, damp air. As he landed and rolled on what felt like wet pavement, he heard two women's voices  
  
"What the hell? Where did he come from?"  
  
"What in God's name is that?"  
  
John rolled onto his back and looked around. Wherever he had landed, it was night. He was lying on a sidewalk, stores to one side, empty street on the other. There was something almost familiar about the design of the buildings, but John didn't want to admit to himself that what he suspected was true.  
  
He heard footsteps behind him. Standing, he saw two women coming toward him. Both were conservatively dressed, but while one was tall with straight, shoulder length white hair, the other was not as tall, with short red hair. The taller woman looked deadly serious, while the shorter was grinning broadly.  
  
John thought, Well, I guess Sebaceans could start dressing like business executives.  
  
"Where the hell did you come from," the taller woman asked.  
  
The red head sounded like she was about to start laughing as she asked, "Are you all right?"  
  
John stared, not believing what he was seeing or hearing. The women spoke English, plain, unadorned English, no lag or delay as his translator microbes converted languages for him.  
  
"Where am I," he asked, sounding like he was in a daze.  
  
The women exchanged confused looks. "You're standing on the sidewalk, in the middle of the city of Oneonta, in Upstate New York."  
  
John stammered for a moment, not believing what he'd just heard. "New York? Did you say…New York?" He stepped back and looked around. "My God, I'm home. Parsifal, I'm home!" John threw his arms out, let his head fall back and he started laughing hysterically. Nearly two and a half cycles of anxiety and fear drained from his body and for the first time in a long time, John felt himself relax.  
  
"Mr. Crichton, there is one other question you should ask."  
  
John looked at the portable and nodded. "Yeah, there is." He looked at the two women, who were watching him with a combination of amusement and caution. "Um, this is going to sound a little odd, but could you tell me what year it is?"  
  
The red head's smile grew a little. "2190. March 17th, to be exact."  
  
John stared then shook his head. "It's not fair. It's just not fair." He turned and started walking away. The two women exchanged looks and started after him.  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
John walked slowly down the quiet city street, his mind trying to deal with the absurdity of the situation he now found himself in. He thought, Yeah, it figures. I finally make it back to Earth, but it's nearly two hundred years after I left. What the hell good is that?  
  
"Mr. Crichton?"  
  
John touched the portable, now clipped to his belt. "Parsifal, call me John."  
  
"All right then, John. This is not the worst situation to find yourself in. You are, after all, home."  
  
"But it's not my home, Parsifal. Look, one of the main things that kept me going over the last two and a half cycles was the knowledge that my family and friends were still alive and well. Now, everyone I care about, my Dad, my sisters, DK and the rest of my friends, Buffy The Vampire Slayer…they're all dead. On top of that, if I stay here, there's two hundred years of history and technological advances to catch up on. I'd be as out of place here as I was on Moya."  
  
"I suppose that is true," Parsifal said, trying to sound reassuring. "However, I should also remind you that you managed to survive in an alien environment for an extended period of time. That must…"  
  
"Don't, Parsifal. Just don't say anything. I didn't have a choice when I arrived on Moya. Besides, Aeryn's not here. She kept me going, too. I always said I didn't want to go home without her."  
  
John spotted a bench on the other side of the street, and crossed to it. As he sat, John saw the two women approaching. "Great, attracted the attention of the locals. Isn't there some kind of rule about that?"  
  
"It's not a good idea, but if handled properly, it isn't a problem."  
  
The tall, white haired woman looked down at John. "Okay, mister. I think you owe us an explanation or two."  
  
John looked up at her. "Who are you?"  
  
Both women reached under their jackets and pulled out official looking identification. "I'm Agent Caralynn Adrasteia, this is Agent Alexandra Sinclair. We're with EarthGov Security, Division 5."  
  
"Security. Great." John buried his face in his hands and was relieved he left his pulse pistol on Moya. "If I tell you the truth, you're probably gonna think it strange, unbelievable and you'll probably want to lock me up."  
  
Alexandra sat next to John. "I don't know about that. We're with Division 5, after all; we deal with security problems outside of the system. Believe me, strange and unbelievable are daily occurrences for us. So why don't you start with your name?"  
  
John looked at her, reassured by her constant smile. What the hell, he thought. What do I have to lose? "My name is John Crichton."  
  
As her smile slipped a little, Alexandra turned from John and stared into the distance. "Carly, there was an account of one Commander John Crichton. On a shuttle mission, he was testing an experimental module, in an attempt to use Earth's gravity like a booster. Apparently, something went wrong, because the module, Farscape 1, disappeared in some kind of radiation wave."  
  
John blinked. "You've memorized history?"  
  
"Actually, I have an eidetic memory. I remember everything I see and hear, to the finest detail. Now, are you the same John Crichton?"  
  
"Yeah, that's me. I've spent two and a half years living somewhere on the other side of the universe. I've been trying to stay alive and find a way back home. It figures that when I finally do get home, it's two hundred years after I've left." John's head fell back and he stared into the night sky. "God hates me. That has to be it."  
  
Carly looked around and sighed. "This is going to be a long story, isn't it? Let's get off the street. Come on. Our offices aren't far from here. You can tell us there."  
  
A look of suspicion crawled onto John's face. "Your offices? Am I under arrest?"  
  
"No, you're not," Alexa said. "Would you rather sit out here on a bench? Don't worry about it; we're a bit more open-minded than other divisions of EarthGov. If you'd been found by agents from Division 4, you would have been in trouble. They don't trust their own parents. Besides, I really need a cup of coffee."  
  
"Coffee? Man, I haven't had coffee in…" Despite himself, John smiled, nodded and stood. "Why the hell not? It doesn't look like I'm going anywhere real soon." He glanced back down the street, where the portal had once been. He sighed and followed Carly and Alexa down the street.  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	8. Archangel Part 8

"Archangel" Part Eight: Time…Is On My Side  
  
Time: Between Self-Inflicted Wounds Part II: Wait For The Wheel and Different Destinations  
  
Disclaimer: I didn't create Farscape, didn't create the characters and don't make a plug nickel off of it. However, I DID create Archangel Antandra Pandora and hope to one day make a bundle off of her life.  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
John slipped low on the hard plastic chair and tried to remain calm. He had no idea how long he had been sitting in the small interrogation room; there were no windows and he couldn't see a clock. Alexa sat across from him, the smile still on her face. Carly stood to one side, her face composed and neutral. John looked from one to the other and tried to remain calm. "So, am I under arrest?"  
  
"No, you're not," Carly said. "As far as I know, suddenly appearing out of nowhere, and claiming to be someone who disappeared nearly two hundred years ago, isn't a crime. This interrogation room is a little more secure, that's all."  
  
"Claiming to be…look, shouldn't you be doing something? Like running my fingerprints, checking my DNA, something like that?"  
  
Alexa's smile grew slightly. "Already working on it. So just relax." She still sounded like she was about to start laughing. She leaned forward and laced her fingers together. "So, you were saying? You came out of this…wormhole in some other part of the universe?"  
  
"Even after two and a half years, I still don't know if I'm on the other side of the galaxy or the other side of the universe. I've been too busy trying to survive to figure it out."  
  
"And you've been living with a group of non-humans onboard a living ship called Moya?"  
  
"Non-humans. I can't think of them like that anymore." John tapped his fingers against the metal table and laughed. "I know. It sounds like a television show. But I've been living it for over two and a half years. Unfortunately, I have no proof of it. Except for Parsifal, here, and he's not even from Moya." He unclipped Parsifal's portable unit from his belt and placed it on the table.  
  
"I see. Can you tell us…" A quiet beeping cut Carly off. She reached under her jacket and took out what looked like a small cell phone. She glanced at its display then touched a button and held it up to her ear. "Yes? All right. I'll be right there." As she returned the phone to her pocket, she said, "That was Renfro, down in Records. I'll be right back." Carly turned a reassuring smile at John and left the room.  
  
John glanced at the door, then turned back to Alexa. "So, you guys getting a nice padded cell ready for me?"  
  
"Why did we do that? Mr. Crichton…John…Carly and I saw you come out of nowhere. So, unless both she and I are delusional, also…" Alexa leaned back in her chair. "Gotten a little paranoid?"  
  
"I've spent two and a half years being chased by one lunatic Peacekeeper after another, plus my friends and I have managed to piss of a fair number of people. Paranoia gets to be a way of life."  
  
Something overhead clicked, and Carly's voice came from concealed speakers. "Alexa, could you come out here, please."  
  
"Coming." Alexa stood and started for the door. "Can I bring you back anything?"  
  
"Yeah, I could use that cup of coffee you mentioned."  
  
"How do you take it?"  
  
"At the moment, black. I just want to remember what coffee tastes like. And, if you happen to have any chocolate laying around…" Alexa nodded and left the room.  
  
John hesitated a moment, then glanced down at Parsifal. "Can I assume they're watching me?"  
  
"Yes, John. There is a sophisticated array of sensors and monitors imbedded in the walls."  
  
"I don't suppose you can tell how much trouble I'm in?"  
  
"As near as I can tell, you're not in any trouble. There are no alerts, no sign of heightened security. While monitoring their computer system, I did spot an inquiry concerning you. They now know you're telling the truth."  
  
"You didn't do anything, did you?"  
  
"No. As I said, your disappearance was a matter of record."  
  
John sighed and massaged his eyes. "Have you managed to contact Angelina yet?"  
  
"Not yet. But I'm still working on it." John nodded and tried to relax.  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
Outside the interrogation room, Alexa found Carly studying a hard copy. "What did Renfro come up with?"  
  
Carly studied the image a moment longer then handed it to Alexa. It was a picture of John, apparently from an official press release. "If this is a hoax, someone went to a whole lot of trouble for no visible gain." She waved a hand at a desk across from the interrogation room's door. "All the readings say he's telling the truth. He's coming across as perfectly human, except for this." Carly tapped one indicator. "There are some kind of micro-organisms in his brain. They don't appear to be doing anything, they're just there."  
  
Alexa nodded, then tapped a control, opening the intercom. "John, what can you tell me about the micro-organisms in your brain?"  
  
"They're called translator microbes," he said. "I don't know how they work, but they allow me to understand any language I hear."  
  
"Any language?" Alexa searched her memory. "Conmé necha veq tovas nelek va, John."  
  
"Yeah, it's good to see you, too."  
  
"Janfar, p'té inifta."  
  
"Now I'm your comrade. You always make friends this fast?"  
  
"You speak Bel'lantyre and Oevestorie?"  
  
"Never heard of them."  
  
"Okay. Thanks." Alexa closed the intercom and sighed. "So, what do we do with him?"  
  
"We have no reason to hold him. But we can't just let him go. At any rate, where would he go?" Carly frowned and thought. "Director Bernard will be back tomorrow. You stay with him, keep him calm. I'll take care of the paperwork. Tomorrow, we'll bring him to Director Bernard." Alexa nodded and returned to the interrogation room.  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
Aeryn watched Antandra pace around the conference room, recounting her experiences onboard Moya and Rhianda. Despite herself, Aeryn felt a touch of amusement; Antandra's excited reactions reminded her of John's initial reactions. Aeryn quickly pushed thoughts of John from her mind; thinking of him, lost in time and space, only served to fill her with anger and concern.  
  
"Aeryn?"  
  
Aeryn shook herself and glanced down the table. Antandra's mother, Athena, was looking at her, waiting for a reply. "I'm sorry, I was…thinking. What did you say?"  
  
Athena looked patient as she repeated herself. "Are these Leviathans life forms of some kind, or are they built like traditional starships?"  
  
"Leviathans are life forms in their own right. In fact, about a cycle and a half ago, Moya gave birth to a hybrid gunship. I named him Talyn." Aeryn chewed on her lower lip and tried to keep an annoyed look off her face. "Look, as much as I would like to continue answering your questions, I have one of my own. Is anyone bothering to look for John? If I ended up here, where or when could John be?"  
  
Antandra looked sympathetic, then turned back to the others. "Aeryn wants to know if we're looking for one of her companions and Parsifal. Anything about that, Zoe?"  
  
"Doctor Graff is still trying to figure out what happened to the Arch to first send Antandra to God knows where, then bring her and Aeryn back here, and send Parsifal to a different temporal location."  
  
"We did encounter some kind of out of control experiment in time travel being conducted by the Peacekeepers," Aeryn said. "Is it possible that it interfered with your system? First to bring Antandra to Moya, then its destruction causing it to act up again and bring me here?"  
  
Zoe's head bobbed from side to side as she considered. "I suppose it's possible. I'll run it past Doctor Graff after we're finished here. At the moment, though, Angelina is scanning the temporal frequencies trying to get a lock on Parsifal's temporal beacon. We should find them quickly enough, assuming this man, this John Crichton, still has Parsifal with him."  
  
Mathias glanced down at her. "You're getting cynical, Zoe."  
  
Zoe returned Mathias's gaze, then looked around the table. "Look, I was standing next to Doctor Graff when Angelina located Antandra. Usually there are two sets of coordinates, a set of temporal coordinates and a set of spatial coordinates. In this case, the spatial coordinates were blank. Angelina has no idea where Antandra was while she was missing. And we're supposed to believe that a human has been living with them for over two and a half years?"  
  
"The fact that an American astronaut, Commander John Crichton, disappeared under unusual circumstances in 1997 is a matter of record. What is it you're trying to say, Zoe?"  
  
"What I'm trying to say is, with all due respect to Aeryn, maybe we shouldn't be sitting here with open arms."  
  
The conference room's door slid open and Clement stepped in, followed by four guards, their weapons drawn. "I couldn't agree with you more, Archangel Baird. Take the alien away."  
  
Mathias stood as the guards moved toward Aeryn. "What do you think you're doing, Clement?"  
  
"Securing an unknown life form, Mr. Crowe. Your interrogation isn't revealing any useful information, so perhaps my methods will get results." Clement nodded to the guards.  
  
Aeryn stared at the pistols aimed at her and wondered if she should attempt to escape. It didn't take long to decide that tactic would prove terminal. She sighed and slowly stood. "You know, not long after John arrived on Moya, we encountered a wormhole created by an ancient race of beings looking for a new home. They created a simulation of Earth and its people for John's benefit, then let me, D'Argo and Rygel travel to it as well. They said it was to test the human race, to see how they would react to aliens."  
  
"What happened?" Antandra looked sad, as if she knew what Aeryn was going to say.  
  
"In the simulation, Rygel was dissected, D'Argo was on his way to somewhere else, probably to be dissected as well. John and I were hunted fugitives. When we returned to Moya, John said that not all humans were like the ones we encountered in the simulation." Aeryn looked around the table, then glared at Clement. "Apparently, he was wrong about that, too."  
  
"Aeryn, I'm sorry."  
  
Aeryn's face became a hard mask. "Yeah, I'm sorry, too." She slowly drew her pulse pistol and held it out to Clement. "Be careful with that. The trigger is very sensitive."  
  
Clement stared at her, then took the pistol. He nodded to the guards, who lead Aeryn from the conference room, their weapons never wavering. "You'll have my report in the morning, Mr. Crowe."  
  
As the door closed, Antandra slammed her fist down, severely denting the metal table. "This is just excellent."  
  
Zoe sounded upset. "I wanted a little caution, that's all. I didn't want her arrested. If Antandra said Aeryn can be trusted…" She sighed and shook her head. "What was all that she said, Antandra?"  
  
"She was talking about an incident that occurred a couple of years ago. Apparently, we're living down to her expectations of humanity." Antandra massaged her eyes and wondered if things could get worse.  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	9. Archangel Part 9

"Archangel" Part Nine: Dangerous Equations  
  
Time: Between Self-Inflicted Wounds Part II: Wait For The Wheel and Different Destinations  
  
Disclaimer: I didn't create Farscape, didn't create the characters and don't make a plug nickel off of it. However, I DID create Archangel Antandra Pandora and hope to one day make a bundle off of her life.  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
"Time is but a stream I go a-fishing in."  
  
Henry David Thoreau  
  
Antandra peeked around the corner and considered the guard stationed outside the single occupied cell in the block. He stared straight ahead, his eyes never leaving the wall in front of him. Antandra could hear Aeryn pacing, her angry footsteps echoing through the deserted block.  
  
A quiet beeping came from her belt. Antandra unclipped her comm and picked up. As a hologram of Mathias formed above it, she said, "What do you have for me, Mathias?"  
  
"I just heard from Zoe and Doctor Graff. Angelina has located Parsifal, though she hasn't established a comm channel yet."  
  
Antandra sighed in relief. "Thank God. Where are they?"  
  
"They are on Earth, but in the late twenty-second century. March 17, 2190, to be exact."  
  
"Well, it won't take any convincing to get John to go back to Moya. That's two hundred years after his time. He certainly won't want to stay. Anyone have a clue as to how to get them?"  
  
"Doctor Graff has an idea for collecting Parsifal and Crichton, then returning them to their own time and space."  
  
"Angelina figured out the spatial coordinates?"  
  
"No, but in scanning the temporal coordinates, she established a location. The reason there weren't any spatial coordinates is that this ship of theirs is so far out of known space that any coordinates would be meaningless."  
  
"I see." Antandra glanced around the corner again. The guard still hadn't moved. "I'm going to get Aeryn out, then head over to the Arch chamber. Tell Doctor Graff to be ready."  
  
"I'll run as much interference for you as I can. Security will be everywhere but near you. Take care."  
  
"I will. Love you."  
  
"Love you, too. Good luck." The hologram faded out, and Antandra returned the comm to her belt.  
  
Antandra drew her pistol. "Safety off, high stun." As the weapon acknowledged her command, she stepped around the corner, aimed and fired. The guard's body stiffened before he dropped to the floor.  
  
Antandra jogged to the cell and looked through the security field blocking the door. Aeryn stared back at her, her face a hard mask. "I'll have you out of there in a minute, Aeryn. Then we can get you back to your own time."  
  
"Give me a good reason while I should trust you." Aeryn's voice was ice.  
  
With a growl of frustration, Antandra took a step closer to the door. "Aeryn, up until now, have I given you any reason not to trust me? Didn't I save your life onboard Rhianda? If I wanted to betray you in any way, don't you think I would have left you to the mob?" Antandra quickly searched guard for the key to the field.  
  
Aeryn watched Antandra deactivate the field, but didn't move toward the open door. "Aeryn, Angelina has a lock on Parsifal. I'm assuming John is still with him. Angelina is working on establishing communications. Doctor Graff has an idea for returning you and John to Moya. I'm going to get you home, Aeryn."  
  
It was another minute before Aeryn nodded. "Where's my equipment?"  
  
Antandra relaxed. "Probably in the office down the hall. Let's go."  
  
The two guards in the office didn't have a chance to react before Antandra stunned them. Aeryn considered the unconscious guards for a moment, then started searching for her pulse pistol. "Are they dead?"  
  
"No, of course not. They're only doing their jobs. Mathias will smooth them over. Here we go." Antandra began to reach into a small locker, but stopped before she touched the pistol. "There isn't any security built into it, is there?"  
  
"No." Aeryn took the pistol and checked it over quickly. "Now, you said you were going to get me home?"  
  
"We have to get John first. He and Parsifal are in the twenty-second century, almost fifty-six hundred years ago. Hopefully, we'll be able to get to him first then continue on to Moya." Antandra considered the pulse pistol. "I don't suppose that has a stun setting."  
  
"No."  
  
"Then if you have to return fire, shoot to injure. Now, let's go."  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
John leaned forward and rested his head on his crossed arms. He still wasn't sure how long he had been sitting in the interrogation room. An empty coffee cup sat in front of him, next to a ripped open candy wrapper. Well, if nothing else, he thought, at least I got some chocolate. John inhaled deeply and let his eyes slip shut. He began to drift off to sleep…  
  
His eyes snapped open as Parsifal said, "John, I've re-established contact with Angelina!"  
  
"Great, Parsifal." He glanced at Alexa, who watched him with her head tilted to the right. "Looks like I'll be going home, soon."  
  
"Looks like it," Alexa said. "Just when I was having so much fun."  
  
"John, Officer Sun wants to talk to you." After a moment, Aeryn's voice came from Parsifal's speakers. "John, are you all right?"  
  
"I'm fine, Aeryn. A little pissed off with God, Fate or whatever's frelling with my life, but otherwise, I'm fine. Hang on a minute." John glanced up as Carly stepped back into the interrogation room. "This is Aeryn Sun, one of my friends. She's Sebacean; looks perfectly human, but not exactly. Where are you, Aeryn?"  
  
"I'm on Earth, John, but in Antandra's time. Apparently, humans are more paranoid than you've let on."  
  
"Must be you, Aeryn. I'm the paranoid one here. So, when are they going to get us out of here?"  
  
"Angelina's working on reestablishing the portal now, John," Antandra said. "Go up to…"  
  
There was the sound of angry voices in the background, as if two groups of people were arguing with each other. "Everything all right up there?"  
  
"Fine, John. Fine. Why do you ask?" There was the sound of gunfire.  
  
"Oh, no reason." John could hear Aeryn yelling at someone, telling them to get down and stay out of her way. "When can I expect you to be here?"  
  
"We'll be there in…by your reckoning, a few minutes." More gunfire. "God damn it! Safety off! Stun!" There was a burst of static, then silence.  
  
"Aeryn! Antandra!"  
  
"The communications connection has been cut, John. However, my data link with Angelina is still intact. The Arch system has been activated. The portal is in the process of forming."  
  
John managed to relax a little. "Where?"  
  
Parsifal was silent for a moment. "We have to get to the roof."  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
John found himself shifting nervously from foot to foot as the elevator stopped on the roof of the building. As the doors parted, he stepped out and looked around. Around him, the city of Oneonta glittered in the night. He stared for a moment, then looked up into the night sky. "It may not be my time," he muttered, "but at least I got back to Earth for a little while."  
  
"There it is," Carly said, pointing into the darkness. John looked in the indicated direction and growled in frustration.  
  
The portal had formed in mid-air above the roof.  
  
Alexa leaned over the edge and frowned. "I'd guess it's about three meters."  
  
"Correct, Agent Sinclair," Parsifal said. "I don't suppose you can jump that high, John."  
  
John looked and winced. "Maybe with a good trampoline." He shook his head and wondered if someone was doing this to him on purpose.  
  
"That shouldn't be a problem," Carly said. "I should be able to…"  
  
Aeryn appeared in the portal. She leaned forward, looked around, then turned her gaze downward. She saw John, smiled in relief. "You're looking well, John."  
  
"Yeah, good to see you, too, Aeryn. I hope you have a plan."  
  
"Of course I do. And unlike your plans, this one will work."  
  
Antandra leaned out. "Hello, John. Did you enjoy your time here in your future?"  
  
"Oh yeah. They have a nice interrogation room here. The plan is…?"  
  
"You get up here, then we head back to Moya, then I go home." Antandra noticed Carly and Alexa standing next to John. "Saint Caralynn…Saint Alexandra…" She saw the confused looks on their faces then shook her head. "Never mind. Agent Adrasteia, you should be able to boost John up to us."  
  
Carly stared at Antandra for a minute longer, then nodded. "Alexa, you ever feel like you've missed a plot point or two?" She sighed. "Do you have a problem with motion sickness, John?"  
  
"I was a test pilot before I became an astronaut."  
  
"Oh good." Carly took hold of John's vest and lifted him up. She tossed him up to the portal with ease.  
  
As Aeryn and Antandra pulled him into the portal, John looked back at Carly. "Another lady who takes her vitamins."  
  
Antandra looked down at Carly. "She's enhanced, just like me. Actually, I'm enhanced, just like her." She watched the two agents for another minute then stepped away from the portal. "All right. Close this portal."  
  
On the roof, Carly and Alexa watched the two dark haired women help John into the portal. The taller one stared at them for a minute before she backed into the portal.  
  
As the portal closed, Carly looked at Alexa. "How about we never mention this to anyone, Alexa."  
  
"Don't have to tell me twice."  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
As they made their way through the white corridor, John asked, "So, Aeryn, what did you think of Earth?"  
  
"Oh it was a wonderful experience," Aeryn said. "They have nice cells."  
  
"Cells?"  
  
"Don't ask, John," Antandra said. "There are a few…"  
  
"Excuse me, Archangel, but we may still have problems. Someone else has entered the Arch."  
  
Antandra glanced down at the portable, once again clipped to her belt. "Let me guess, Parsifal. It's Clement?"  
  
"Yes. From what Angelina is telling me, he took it upon himself to follow you and Officer Sun into the Arch."  
  
"How long before he reaches us?" The sound of gunfire reached them. "That soon?" Antandra glanced back and saw Clement, his black uniform standing out against the white corridor. His weapon was drawn and he was firing without aiming.  
  
As they started running, Antandra said, "Parsifal, how close are we to Moya?"  
  
"We're almost there, Archangel."  
  
"Tell Angelina to collapse the portal as soon as we're through. That should stop Clement."  
  
Parsifal considered for a minute. "Stop him? Yes. He'll also be lost in time, unable to re-enter the time stream."  
  
"The lesser of two evils, Parsifal. He's not going to listen to reason."  
  
John wasn't sure how long they had been running. "What's this guy's problem?"  
  
"He's the one who locked me up," Aeryn said. "He apparently he doesn't like the fact that I've escaped."  
  
"Life's a bitch." The portal appeared in front of them. "Here we go!"  
  
Just as they reached the portal, something exploded behind them. A shockwave hit John and sent him tumbling. The whiteness faded, replaced by the soothing, dim light of Command. John landed badly, and his head slammed against the deck.  
  
The last thing John heard before unconsciousness was Jool's screaming. "Oh shut the hell up," he said. Then there was darkness.  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
TO BE CONCLUDED 


	10. Archangel Part 10

"Archangel" Part Ten: Forever And Forever…  
  
Time: Between Self-Inflicted Wounds Part II: Wait For The Wheel and Different Destinations  
  
Disclaimer: I didn't create Farscape, didn't create the characters and don't make a plug nickel off of it. However, I DID create Archangel Antandra Pandora and hope to one day make a bundle off of her life.  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
After his microt of unconsciousness, John rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling of Command. Jool was still screaming, and he was sure the fillings in his back teeth were starting to shake lose.  
  
"Jool! Babe! Shut the frell up!" John climbed slowly to his feet and looked around. Command looked much the same as it had when he had fallen into the portal. John saw Aeryn and Antandra lying unconscious on the floor near the place the portal once hovered.  
  
Panic hit him immediately. "Oh God! Aeryn! Jool! Get over here!" John gently rolled Aeryn onto her back, relieved to find her breathing.  
  
As Jool started examining Aeryn, John turned to Antandra. "Parsifal?"  
  
"I am undamaged, John, as are Officer Sun and Archangel Pandora. They were caught in the shockwave caused by a grenade Clement detonated while in the Arch corridor. From a tactical standpoint, it was not the best move to make. The detonation temporarily destabilized the portal."  
  
"And what happened to him?"  
  
Parsifal was silent for a microt. "There is no clear evidence about what happens to matter when it's caught in such a destabilization. All I can say is, it was quick."  
  
John shuddered. "So he could be anywhere in time?"  
  
"It's unlikely he survived, John."  
  
Antandra moaned and pushed herself up onto her knees. "Oh, that wasn't fun," she said. With bleary eyes, she looked around. "We made it back to Moya?"  
  
"How long were we gone, Pilot?"  
  
"Only a few microts, Commander. Where did you go?"  
  
"We all went to Earth, but I ended up about two hundred cycles in the future. Aeryn, apparently, went all the way to Antandra's time." John watched Jool continue to examine Aeryn. "How is she?" He heard Aeryn groan. "Never mind."  
  
John leaned close to Aeryn as she opened her eyes. "Hey there, Sleeping Beauty."  
  
Aeryn stared at him then sat up. "We made it back to Moya. Good. You do this all the time, Antandra?"  
  
"Me? No. Once I get back to my time, I don't plan on ever going into the Arch again. Assuming, of course, that I can get back to my own time. Parsifal?"  
  
"According to Angelina, the destabilization of the Arch corridor was not as severe as she originally thought. She'll have the portal re-established in about fifteen minutes."  
  
"Well," Antandra said, a resigned look on her face. "I guess you're stuck with me for a little longer."  
  
John helped Aeryn to her feet. "Anyone for some rasklak?"  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
A quarter arn later, Pilot reported the formation of the portal.  
  
As he and Aeryn escorted Antandra back to Command, after she said goodbye to Jool, John felt his attention drift inward. He thought, So people are still people, humanity is still basically unchanged, even fifty-eight hundred cycles in the future. That's at something to be thankful for; at least the human race doesn't end up looking like that Alien Nation wannabe. It doesn't sound like there's been much improvement, but anything is better than what he represented.  
  
They watched the portal form in the center of Command. Antandra stopped in front of it, a look of reluctance on her face. "You know, I really want to go home, but part of me wants to stay here." She took a deep breath, then glanced back at John and Aeryn, apparently lost in thought.  
  
"What's the matter?"  
  
"I was just thinking of something from Shakespeare:  
  
Whether we shall meet again I know not.  
  
Therefore our everlasting farewell take.  
  
Forever, and forever, farewell John, Aeryn!  
  
If we do meet again, why, we shall smile;  
  
If not, why then this parting was well made."  
  
John frowned and thought back to his college literature classes. "Oh Christ, let's see if I remember the rest of that." He thought quickly, remembering the lines.  
  
"Forever, and forever, farewell, Antandra!  
  
If we do meet again, we'll smile indeed;  
  
If not, 'tis true this parting was well made."  
  
Antandra nodded and glanced at the clamshell. "It was an honor to meet you, Pilot. Watch over them, please."  
  
"Be well, Archangel Pandora. It has been my honor to meet you."  
  
"Say goodbye, Parsifal."  
  
"Goodbye John, Officer Sun. Even though my history files don't have a record of it, I feel certain you will eventually find your way back to Earth, John."  
  
"I hope so, too, Parsifal. Take care of yourselves."  
  
Antandra took a step toward the portal, but stopped and looked back at them. "God be with you," she said. "God be with both of you."  
  
She stepped into the portal and was gone.  
  
As the portal faded, John sighed. "So, what did you think of Earth?"  
  
"I didn't get to see any of it. I never left the complex that housed…houses…will house the Arch Complex. Some of them, Antandra's husband, mother and two friends, accepted me without question, but that other man, the one who pursued us, locked me up and would have probably moved on to interrogation if Antandra hadn't gotten me out. How about you? What did you think of where you ended up?"  
  
John shrugged and leaned against the main console. "If the two women I met are any indication, humans in the two hundred cycles from now are more accepting." He shrugged again.  
  
"Did you want to stay?"  
  
"No," he said quickly. "No, I didn't want to. I would have had two hundred cycles of catch-up to do. It would have been like arriving on Moya all over again. Except that I could still get my hands on chocolate."  
  
Though she tried to hide it from John, Aeryn felt relieved. Since Antandra had arrived, she had been afraid John would have wanted to remain on Earth, no matter what the time period.  
  
"Besides," he whispered, "you weren't there. Wouldn't have been much point to it."  
  
As a smile crossed her face, Aeryn stepped up behind John. "Pilot, can the DRDs handle the repairs?"  
  
"Of course, Officer Sun. Though it is extensive, none of the damage is beyond their capabilities."  
  
"Good." Aeryn stepped around to John's side. "You know, John, I've been feeling rather…"  
  
He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Rather…what?"  
  
Aeryn leaned close. "I've been feeling rather tense, lately."  
  
"Tense? Fluids getting out of balance? Can't have that. Pilot, how long until D'Argo and the gang get back?"  
  
"Approximately two and a half arns, Commander."  
  
"Good. Forget about us for at least two arns." John smiled at Aeryn and followed her from Command. "Can I get a 'hell yeah." he muttered.  
  
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THE END 


End file.
